This application claims the priority of German patent 198 35 355.3, filed Aug. 5, 1998, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a head restraint for a vehicle seat, which has a seat back or backrest having a head cushion and a retaining device, which secures the head cushion pivotably to the backrest and is designed in such a manner that the head cushion can be pivoted between an upper functional position and a lower-lying rest or non-functional position.
In the case of a known head restraint of this type, known for example, from commonly owned German patent document (DE 44 11 471 A1), which is designed for rear seats, the retaining device, which is designed as a swinging mechanism, has a supporting plate which is fastened on the parcel shelf of the vehicle body directly behind the backrest of the rear seat. A horizontally aligned pivot is mounted rotatably in mounts fastened on the supporting plate, and on the pivot there are arranged, in a rotationally fixed manner, two supporting brackets which are connected to each other by a transverse rod and in each case have a socket for two retaining hoops which support the head cushion. Mechanical pivoting of the head cushion leads to the latter being transferred into its functional position above the upper edge of the backrest and being automatically locked there. While pivoting upwards a restoring spring is tensioned and is retained under tension in the functional position by the lock. The unlocking is done under remote control via a pneumatic release element, after which the head cushion is pivoted away by the restoring spring into its non-functional or rest position, in which it lies below the backrest upper edge and does not impede the driver's view to the rear.
The invention is based on the object of simplifying the design of a retaining device for a head restraint of the type generally described above.
This and other objects have been achieved according to the present invention by providing a head restraint for a vehicle seat having a backrest, comprising: a head cushion; and a retaining device including a pivot coupling the head cushion pivotably to the backrest, said pivot being aligned transversely to a front surface of the backrest and passing eccentrically through the plane of symmetry of the head cushion such that the head cushion is pivotable between an upper functional position and a lower nonfunctional position.
This and other objects have been achieved according to the present invention by providing a retaining device for pivotably coupling a head cushion to a vehicle seat backrest, comprising: a bearing to be coupled to the vehicle seat backrest such that a pivot axis defined by said bearing extends at least approximately perpendicularly to a front surface of the backrest; a pivot pin to be coupled to a lower portion of the head cushion, said pivot pin being disposed in said bearing to be rotatable about said pivot axis between a first position corresponding to an upper functional position of the head cushion and a second position corresponding to a lower nonfunctional position of the head cushion; and at least one locking mechanism which releasably locks said pivot pin to said bearing in said first position.
This and other objects have been achieved according to the present invention by providing a method of pivotably coupling a head cushion to a vehicle seat backrest, comprising: coupling a bearing to the vehicle seat backrest such that a pivot axis defined by said bearing extends at least approximately perpendicularly to a front surface of the backrest; coupling a pivot pin to a lower portion of the head cushion; coupling said pivot pin to said bearing to be rotatable about said pivot axis between a first position corresponding to an upper functional position of the head cushion and a second position corresponding to a lower nonfunctional position of the head cushion; and providing at least one locking mechanism to releasably lock said pivot pin to said bearing in said first position.
The head restraint according to the invention has the advantage that instead of the swinging mechanism, which is complicated in terms of manufacture, a very simple rotational mechanism makes it possible to bring the head cushion into the higher-level functional position and into the lower-level non-functional position. It is ensured that, on the one hand, in the lower-lying non-functional position the head cushion does not block or interfere with the driver's free view to the rear and, on the other hand, in the higher-placed functional position the minimum height dimensions prescribed by law are observed. In addition, the rotational mechanism according to the invention is small in terms of structure and can easily be fastened to the backrest itself and simply covered there. The rotational mechanism therefore does not require--as the known swinging mechanism--an additional installation place on the vehicle body behind the backrest and is therefore also suitable for use in the case of front seats and, in particular, in the case of rear seats in estate vehicles in which, for example, a parcel shelf required by the known swinging mechanism is absent.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the retaining device has a bearing cup, with a cup axis which is coaxial to the pivot, which cup rotatably accommodates a pivot pin, which protrudes on the rear side of the head cushion. The pivot pin is arranged in the head-cushion region which is lower in the functional position of the head cushion and is connected fixedly to the head cushion. These design measures make it possible for the rotational connection, according to the invention, between the head cushion and retaining device to be brought about in a very simple manner in terms of manufacture.
According to an advantageous development of the invention, the bearing cup is fastened on a supporting hoop which is designed to be accommodated, preferably height-adjustably, in a guide sleeve integrated in the backrest. This refinement of the design makes it possible to remove the head restraint from, and fit it to, the vehicle seat very rapidly and without using a tool. It also opens up the possibility of an additional height adjustment of the head restraint for particularly tall vehicle passengers.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.